Chennai’s Mirrorz Theatre to unleash laughter with a four-part Tamil comedy anthology series

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Uniquely flavoured

“The first challenge was to approach comedy differently,” shares VJ Navaneeth of the performing theatre company, who has written all four of the shorts.

“Instead of a conventional comedy show, I decided to explore different styles with special attention to ensuring nothing is absurd,” he shares.

 

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Drawing inspiration from several familiar places — from film director Nelson’s sense of dark comedy to Tamil film comedian Vadivelu’s slapstick style, and Navaneeth’s biggest inspiration, the late writer ‘Crazy’ Mohan, known for his situational comedy — Navaneeth moulded the script over time.

“It took me about two weeks to finish the script. It was a good challenge…comedy can be tricky,” he says.

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Thoughts & tickles

However, the four short Tamil plays, each with its unique flavour, will not just be funny. “It will also be thought-provoking,” he assures.

For instance, the show will kick off with Varuviya vara maatiya, which ventures into the topic of intimacy and menstruation.

“Through the lens of dark comedy, the narrative explores the consequences of accidental intimacy. It also challenges societal norms on women’s reproductive health,” he shares.

The second play, ‘Smart Robbery’, takes a lighter turn. (Supplied)

The second play, Smart Robbery, takes a lighter turn. It offers slapstick humour as it follows four robbers on their side-splitting heists.

Unexpected twists and clever escapes promise a laugh-out-loud experience for the audience.

In the third act, Cinema Cinema, Mirrorz Theatre turns the spotlight on the chaos behind filmmaking. A director finds himself entangled with an amateur crew, delivering humour as it satirises the clash between artistic vision and commercial demands.

Closing the anthology on a thought-provoking note is Paramapadham, which introduces a serious undertone.

Through the lens of a game of snake and ladder, the narrative prompts the audience to contemplate morality and deeper existential questions.

“It was quite interesting to ensure the comedy parts are woven in seamlessly. And not just that, some of these concepts are hard to visualise on stage. So that too was a challenge. But I enjoyed the process,” he shares.